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November 26, 2009 at 7:08 pm #2199461
Anyone received an email from API DNR
Lockedby rlmcso · about 14 years, 4 months ago
Have recently received an email from API DNR (apidnr.com.hk) notifying me that they are representing a client who would like to register a domain name that uses “my domain name” as the key word?
Today I noticed in another email account for another domain name I own the same request for that domain name.
Is this a scam, the refered to web site today is off line – was ok yesterday!
What I would like to know is what can they gain from such a scam (if it is a scam)?
Cheers.
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November 26, 2009 at 7:08 pm #2839883
Clarifications
by rlmcso · about 14 years, 4 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
Clarifications
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November 26, 2009 at 7:35 pm #2839881
Ignore it – it’s a definite scam …
by older mycroft · about 14 years, 4 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
That ol’ chestnut started out in the early days of the ‘net, back when users weren’t [i]really[/i] sure whether their registered domains were secure or not.
Don’t bother about it. Print it out and frame it for a laugh. That’s what I once did a few years ago.
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November 27, 2009 at 7:26 am #2839837
Yeah, it is entirely a scam.
by seanferd · about 14 years, 4 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
Even assuming it weren’t, why would you care? If you did, you’d have every possible variation of your domain name for every TLD registered already, right?
Read
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=2376
for more info. Check out the comment thread. -
December 21, 2009 at 1:00 pm #2833387
I have received an email from API DNR
by andrew henderson · about 14 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
Hi. I have had one in today. I work in IT Security so am naturally suspicious. This looks like a huge scam to me so I went online and found your blog entry. Did you get any other responses?
Cheers
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December 21, 2009 at 3:32 pm #2833357
Check the blog link in my post above.
by seanferd · about 14 years, 3 months ago
In reply to I have received an email from API DNR
There was a much earlier thread on this same subject floating around here somewhere as well.
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December 21, 2009 at 9:59 pm #2838369
apidnr.com.hk
by playwrightspublishingco · about 14 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
It looks like they’re simply trying to sell unused domain names (probably at inflated prices)
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January 4, 2010 at 1:51 pm #2837535
API DNR Email
by geri57 · about 14 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
I recieved this email and what I think they are hoping is that you will get concerned about the security of your domain name and want to register it with APIDNR as well – so they’ll get some money out of you that way.
I’d ignore it. -
January 27, 2010 at 8:32 am #3021051
A Bait-and-hook Scam
by seanlee86 · about 14 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
It’s a what has been called an “internet keyword scam”. Here’s the first email you’ll get probably to your public email address.
“Dear CEO/Manager,
We are a Global Domain Name Registration Center in Hong Kong, mainly dealing with domain name registration and internet intellectual property rights protection. On {INSERT DATE} we received a formal application from a local company of your country who is applying to register some domain names with the keyword {INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME} and register it as their keyword. After investigation, we find that you are the original user of the keyword. As this refers to your company name or trade mark, according to our policy, to avoid the confusion and dispute on the internet, we are responsible to inform you and would like to know your ideas. If you agree about this issue, we will finish the third company’s registration. If you don’t agree the third company?s registration, please inform me. I?m looking forward to your reply. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Kind Regards,
Ella.Charles
Customer Service ManagerTel: +852-31757931(ext8003)
Fax: +852-31757932
Email:Ella.Charles@api-dnr.com
Website: http://www.apidnr.com.hk”They create this illusion that they are the knights in the shinning armor in defending your company’s Trade mark for free (the bait). Then if you play into their hand and asking them to reject this “third party’s” application. As you are thinking that what a nice girl name “Ella.Charle” from Hong Kong that benevolently defends your company’s interests. They deploy the hook as in following email:
“Dear {insert your name},
We perfectly understand this is your company name or trademark, and that was exactly why you?ve got these emails from us. Domains are different from trademark or company name, as they can be registered worldwide. Now the aforementioned third party is applying the following domain names and internet keyword:
Domain names as below:
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.eu
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.cn
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.hk
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.sg
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.jp
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.com.au
www.{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}.asia
Internet keyword as below:
{INSERT YOUR COMPANY’S NAME}
Once you would like to protect or preserve them by registering ahead due to the importance, one valid application form will be sent to start your prior registration. Or we are going to approve the application from the third party if your company does not lay claim to these domains. Please let us know if there is anything more we might be of assistance. Thanks very much and your early reply will be appreciated.
An introduction of Internet Keyword is enclosed for your review.Regards,
Ella.Charles
Customer Service Manager”Of course if you ignore them, they’ll have very polite following up emails day after day to “disturbing” you into buying their hosting service.
Hope this helps.
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February 8, 2010 at 11:20 am #3030760
Bait and Hook Domain Name Keyword Scam
by iramarks · about 14 years, 1 month ago
In reply to A Bait-and-hook Scam
I just received the same sequesnce of emails from these folks in HK offering the opportunity to protect myself by registering the additional domains as well as registering my Keyword so some other party can not do it. Obvioulsy we can register all permutations of your domain name with various suffixes if there is markting value.
These folks charge 3 or 4x the US based rates that you would find at GoDaddy who mI use. No such thing as protecting the keyord unless unique TM or you register it in a domain registration before someone else. They wanted $175 USD.
So avoid these folks!
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February 24, 2010 at 11:31 pm #2812603
apidnr.hk
by alfa.pi · about 14 years, 1 month ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
I got similar request this morning.
1. My company’s name is a registered trade-mark.
2. They are not allowed to register another *.com address with the same name than my company’s.
3. Not sure about the protection of the key-word.
4. Right, was is the gain from scam? (but what is it for spams anyway?)
Cheers! -
March 11, 2010 at 1:25 pm #3034005
It reads like a scam
by megan mclloyd · about 14 years ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
We received one yesterday afternoon and will ignore it.
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March 17, 2010 at 3:16 am #3033278
Persistant Scam
by securm · about 14 years ago
In reply to It reads like a scam
The emails are getting better and the English Syntax is getting better as well… it’s still a Scam.
We get these emails quite often and the first ones had obvious Header issues which flagged it up as Scam Spam. Recently however, the headers are better as in the email is coming from a regular email address but the domain doesn’t match the web URL at the bottom.
This is a Scam and I would avoid.
If you are reading this thread, keep it alive and at the top of the search engines by replying or posting a comment and help others out who have recived these emails.
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May 10, 2010 at 4:20 am #3023674
Received one today – from apidnr.hk
by jasmint · about 13 years, 10 months ago
In reply to Persistant Scam
Just giving this post a boost, I received the same email from apidnr.hk too, I just ignored it. I don’t know why they even try.
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September 23, 2010 at 5:54 am #2875458
Received Today
by funkwarrior · about 13 years, 6 months ago
In reply to Persistant Scam
Received today as follow:
Dear CEO/Manager,
We are a Network Solutions Organization, mainly dealing with domain name registration and internet intellectual property rights protection. On Sep. 22, 2010 we received a formal application from a local company of your country who is applying to register some domain names with ?bradleybasso ? and also register the single word “bradleybasso ? as their internet keyword. After investigation, we find that you are the original user of this word. As this refers to your company name or trade mark and to avoid the confusion and dispute on the internet, we are responsible to inform you of it in no time according to our policy and would like to know your ideas. If you agree about this issue, we will finish the third company’s registration. If you don’t agree the third company?s registration, please inform me. I?m looking forward to your reply. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Kindly Regards,
Christina Stewart
Customer Manager
Address: 28/F., First Block, New Century Bldg.,
No.18 Finance Street,
Zhonghuan,
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3175 7930(ext:8008)
Fax: +852 3175 7932
Email: christina.s@adrimc.com
Website: http://www.apidnr.com.hk
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July 12, 2010 at 9:12 am #2856686
www.apidnr.hk
by janleow · about 13 years, 8 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
Very likely a scam. I receive their message in April 2010, made a post in my blog that this was a scam and now in July 2010, they said my post hurts their reputation. Serves them right.
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July 12, 2010 at 11:54 am #2856666
Applause!
by seanferd · about 13 years, 8 months ago
In reply to www.apidnr.hk
It certainly is good to see that someone has gotten their attention. :-bd :^0
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August 28, 2010 at 12:27 am #2852557
Received the mail
by himanshu.sharma · about 13 years, 7 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
As someone had pointed out earlier, email is not from the same domain as the website at the bottom.
So taking the advise posted here, ignoring it.
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August 28, 2010 at 12:37 pm #2852526
Good plan.
by seanferd · about 13 years, 7 months ago
In reply to Received the mail
This is basically a big scam.
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September 23, 2010 at 8:52 pm #2875336
It’s still a scam
by dobbiej · about 13 years, 6 months ago
In reply to Anyone received an email from API DNR
I received an email from this organisation today. Very similar to others reported here. What was interesting is they used my sites contact form to send the email. Is that common?
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September 23, 2010 at 10:13 pm #2875332
It probably is.
by seanferd · about 13 years, 6 months ago
In reply to It’s still a scam
It makes perfect sense, as they are specifically targeting domain name owners. These aren’t just sent out to people at random.
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